Jim Cramer Names Intel as Top AI Chip Stock
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- AI Chip Market Outlook: Jim Cramer has named Intel (INTC) as his top AI chip stock, and despite a 263% rise this year, the potential of its CPUs in the emerging agentic AI era remains underappreciated, which could lead to new growth opportunities for the company.
- Surge in CPU Demand: With the increase in agentic AI workloads, Intel's CPU demand is expected to rise significantly, as each agent instance requires more CPUs to handle dynamic sub-tasks, providing Intel with a chance to capture additional market share.
- Foundry Business Recovery: Intel's foundry business generated $5.4 billion in revenue in Q1, a 16% year-over-year increase, and while external foundry revenue was only $174 million, its sixfold growth indicates rising demand for its leading-edge process nodes.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: Cramer's endorsement enhances Intel's visibility, and while the stock price has already priced in optimism about AI, the company's success in converting CPU demand and achieving foundry milestones will determine its future earnings growth.
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Analyst Views on INTC
Wall Street analysts forecast INTC stock price to fall
29 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
19 Hold
5 Sell
Hold
Current: 133.990
Low
20.00
Averages
39.30
High
52.00
Current: 133.990
Low
20.00
Averages
39.30
High
52.00
About INTC
Intel Corporation is a global designer and manufacturer of semiconductor products. The Company's segments include Intel Products, Intel Foundry, and All Other. Its Intel Products comprise Client Computing Group (CCG) and Data Center and AI (DCAI). CCG delivers platforms and processors that power PCs and edge devices, enabling enhanced performance, connectivity and user experience for consumer and commercial markets with capabilities that also support retail, industrial robotics and AI ecosystems at the edge. DCAI delivers workload-optimized solutions based upon its x86 architecture for data centers, including CPUs, AI accelerators, NICs, IPUs and custom ASICs, enabling performance and scalability for cloud, enterprise, telecommunication and HPC environments. The Intel Foundry segment comprises technology development, manufacturing and foundry services, developing new semiconductor process technologies and advanced packaging technologies. All Other segments include Mobileye and Other.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Stock Price Momentum: Intel's stock has surged by 263% this year, primarily driven by strategic investments from Nvidia and the U.S. government, which not only boosts market confidence but also enhances the company's competitive edge in the AI sector.
- Growing CPU Demand: As agentic AI workloads increase, Intel's legacy CPU business is becoming increasingly relevant, expected to drive demand for its server CPUs and position the company favorably within the AI infrastructure landscape.
- Foundry Business Improvement: Intel's foundry business generated $5.4 billion in revenue in Q1, a 16% year-over-year increase, and although external foundry revenue remains small, its nearly sixfold annual growth indicates rising demand for its leading-edge process nodes.
- Shifting Market Dynamics: With the mass adoption of AI applications, Intel's balanced demand for CPUs and GPUs may provide a competitive advantage, particularly in attracting more customers by reducing reliance on overseas foundry partners.
See More
- AI Chip Market Outlook: Jim Cramer has named Intel (INTC) as his top AI chip stock, and despite a 263% rise this year, the potential of its CPUs in the emerging agentic AI era remains underappreciated, which could lead to new growth opportunities for the company.
- Surge in CPU Demand: With the increase in agentic AI workloads, Intel's CPU demand is expected to rise significantly, as each agent instance requires more CPUs to handle dynamic sub-tasks, providing Intel with a chance to capture additional market share.
- Foundry Business Recovery: Intel's foundry business generated $5.4 billion in revenue in Q1, a 16% year-over-year increase, and while external foundry revenue was only $174 million, its sixfold growth indicates rising demand for its leading-edge process nodes.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: Cramer's endorsement enhances Intel's visibility, and while the stock price has already priced in optimism about AI, the company's success in converting CPU demand and achieving foundry milestones will determine its future earnings growth.
See More
- Intel Stock Surge: Intel shares climbed to an all-time high of $141.45, driven by growing confidence in its chip manufacturing business and positive outlook on partnerships with major tech firms like Apple, which is expected to enhance future earnings.
- Keel Infrastructure Transformation: Keel Infrastructure reached a four-year high of $7.37 as investors welcomed its strategic shift from cryptocurrency mining to AI infrastructure, with the company raising $458 million to support its data center projects.
- Apogee Therapeutics Acquisition Boost: Apogee Therapeutics stock surged to $133 after AbbVie agreed to acquire the company for $135.11 per share in a $10.9 billion all-cash deal, indicating large pharmaceutical firms' ongoing interest in promising drug development.
- Strong Market Performance: Intel, Keel Infrastructure, and Apogee Therapeutics all achieved new 52-week highs, reflecting investor confidence in long-term growth in infrastructure, advanced computing, and healthcare sectors, with Intel and Keel both gaining over 5% and Apogee soaring 46%.
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- Stock Surge: United Microelectronics' share price soared to an intraday high of $28.27, closing up 14.20% at $27.50, marking an all-time high and reflecting strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- Strategic Partnership: The collaboration with Intel focuses on semiconductor production using 12nm and 3nm process nodes, with production expected at Intel's Arizona facility, which, if confirmed, would deepen their strategic alliance.
- Technology Development: This partnership builds on their previous agreement to develop a 12nm process platform aimed at high-growth markets such as mobile communication infrastructure and networking, demonstrating UMC's ongoing commitment to advanced manufacturing technologies.
- Market Outlook: While UMC shows investment potential, analysts suggest that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and lower downside risk, urging investors to carefully assess market dynamics.
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- Tech Stock Decline: Alphabet's stock fell over 5% following the announcement of Google DeepMind VP Jumper's departure, leading to a broader decline in major tech stocks, which may heighten investor uncertainty regarding the tech sector's future performance.
- Oil Price Volatility: Oil prices initially surged over 2% after Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, but later retreated due to reported progress in peace talks with the US, highlighting the direct impact of geopolitical tensions on market dynamics and prompting investors to reassess energy sector risks.
- Market Expectation Shift: The market is currently pricing in a 39% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike at the upcoming FOMC meeting, reflecting a cautious investor sentiment towards future monetary policy, which could influence market liquidity and investment strategies.
- Overseas Market Performance: European and Asian stock markets closed higher, with the Euro Stoxx 50 and Japan's Nikkei 225 rising by 0.29% and 1.55% respectively, indicating a divergence in global market trends that may provide some support for the US market.
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- Market Share Decline: Intel's share of the server CPU market fell by six percentage points year-over-year to 66.8% in Q1 2026, while AMD's stronger pricing power allows it to gradually capture market share, indicating pressure on Intel's competitive position.
- Technological Advancement: Intel announced that its advanced 18A-P process node has entered risk production, with expectations to transition to volume production within 12-24 months, promising a 9% performance improvement at identical power consumption and an 18% reduction in power usage, enhancing its market competitiveness.
- Growing Product Demand: Intel's Xeon 6 server processor has gained recognition in the market, with Nvidia selecting it as the core component for its Rubin rack-scale servers, indicating an increase in demand for its server CPUs.
- Optimistic Financial Outlook: Intel's data center and AI products achieved a 22% year-over-year growth in Q1, and the mass production of the 18A-P process is expected to drive overall revenue growth beyond analysts' expectations of 10%, boosting investor confidence.
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